Good riddens 2014...Bring on 2015

I am writing about challenges this year because I have faced many. Some of them I overcame well and others not so much. The two I took one for 2014 were to improve my spiritual health as well as my physical health. In order to achieve my spiritual health goal, I chose to read one spiritual book a month and, in order to reach my physical health goal, I chose to do one hike a month. I met my goal of one hike a month, every month, but I failed at my goal of reading one book a month. I only completed five books. I learned that I am not a huge fan of reading. If I have 'free' time, there are many other things I enjoy doing more: hiking, 5Ks, crocheting, scrap-booking, card-making, sewing, crafting, photography, etc. 

A challenge is to do something you are not sure you can do, but have wanted to do or been interested in a while. I am always up for a challenge. It is through challenging myself that I grow. I will change as a result of stretching my capabilities beyond my comfort zone. Why should we challenge ourselves? By doing so, we are able to...

#1 Grow as an individual - It all starts with us. We need to discover more about ourselves and what we are good at, improve our knowledge and skills in familiar topics and learn more about things that we are not as good at. I want to grow as a person and as I engage in introspective thinking, I want to be more spontaneous, humble, honest, spiritual, etc.
#2 Become healthier both physically and mentally - "Health is Wealth." I can physically challenge myself to exercise and eat better. A healthy body yields a healthy spirit. I want to challenge myself mentally by reading more, learning new things, taking part in competitions that will test my skills. A healthy and active mind will keep me physically well, too!
#3 Save money - Fact: It is a challenge to save money. Many of us spend it on the latest gadgets, clothes, accessories, books, going out with friends to the movies...the list is endless! Money cannot buy us happiness but it can help us rest easier and enjoy life more. I want to set goals and challenge myself to save by asking: "Do I really need this?"
#4 Become a better friend or partner - Friends, family and good health are important things in life. Having good, real friends is more often than not needed in our lives to provide mutual support, allowing us to grow and be happy. But am I being the best friend I can be? Do I listen enough? Do I reach out enough to show them I care? Being a good friend is hard work and requires conscious, consistent effort. I want to challenge myself to become a better friend and make mine and my friend's lives happier and better in more ways than one.
#5 Seek inspiration and be more creative - All great artists and innovators learn one golden rule: Inspiration must be sought. I want to be creative and seek inspiration – it does not simply knock on my door. So, I will go outside. Experience new things. Challenging myself to find ways to become inspired is a must. Creativity is a muscle that needs to be stretched constantly – otherwise it withers up and die.
#6 Gain new experiences and have more fun - The alarm clock goes off, I get up and go through my daily routines, then return home to finish off my day. Sound familiar? Many of us go through a routined lifestyle, but it can often get mundane and boring. The truth is, it is easy to do the same old thing. It can even make us feel safe, but, why not challenge ourselves to try new things and gain new experiences? We can meet new people, learn more, have more fun, improve our skills and grow as a person.
#7 Achieve peace and happiness - Peace and happiness are usually the end results of successful challenges, but they can be challenges all on their own. Why not challenge ourselves to be happier and find more peace? I will think of what makes me happy and at ease and will jot them down. I will make an effort to slow down to smell the roses and give myself room to relax once in awhile – I deserve it! Having time for myself to unwind and do the things I love is important for emotional, mental, spiritual and physical well-being.
 
When we make ourselves do something “hard” and we finish, we put a little notch in our belt of self-belief which translates into self-esteem. Self-esteem is something we are born with, but i can be battered and bruised as we grow. We have to work hard to nourish and grow our “self-estimation” of who we are and what we are capable of because that defines our beliefs about our worth in this lifetime. On the other hand, when we avoid challenges, we undermine our self-esteem by saying “I can’t.” We miss opportunities to discover things about ourselves like strengths, preferences and maybe even passions. We set ourselves up for a life of mediocrity full of regrets and what-ifs.

My challenge for this year, should I decide to do it, is again twofold. I am going to take on the 365Project. You may ask, "What is the 365Project?" 365 Projects are simple, you take one photo every day for a year. It can be anything, something you have done, a self portrait, your shoes! Anything! Others may ask, "Why?" Taking a photo each day can be a big undertaking, however the payoffs and the sense of achievement at the end can be great. I am hoping taking photos every day will improve my photography skills, forcing myself to come up with new ideas and making me look at life a little bit differently.

The other challenge I have decided to take on is...a 10K. I know that I can do a 5K, I have done many of them. A 10K is 6.2 miles and most 10Ks have a 2-hour time limit so that is a challenge, to keep a pace to finish 6.2 miles in two hours. I so badly want to do The Greater Columbia River Crossing, but I have been told the bridge is steep and with my knees I am unsure if I can accomplish this. So, I will be taking on The Bridge of the Gods in August in preparation...I hope to do them both.

 I would love to hear about the last thing you did that was hard, that challenged your belief about what you were capable of – or who you are, how you accomplished it and are you planning any new challenges...